What if he lived?
by Alica-Chan
Summary: What if L hadn't died? CAUTION: This contains MxM yaoi. Don't like, don't read!
1. Chapter 1

What if he lived?  
~a Death Note fanfiction by Alica-Chan~

A day after the solution of the Kira Case

Near sat in his bureau, playing happily with his brand-new model plane. Matsuda had just brought it. Near had sent him to buy the plane for two reasons: First, to get a new toy, and second, to get rid of Matsuda. Matsuda thought that Near's bureau was a good place for him to hang around, but -in Near's opinion- he was really irritating. Now, Near was enjoying his model plane and Matsuda had finally gone.  
Gevanni entered the room. "Hey Near", he said, "Having fun?". Near looked up, annoyed. "I thought I told you I was busy", he said. Gevanni shrugged. "I just wanted to tell you about that weirdo that just called. He said he wanted to meet you, and that you knew about it. He wouldn't tell me his name. I asked him, but he just said 'tell him I'm on my way' and then hung up. He said he should be here in 20 minutes. No, less. 15" "Okay, okay, send him in when he arrives", Near said. "Yeah", Gevanni agreed, and left the room.  
14 minutes later, the doorbell rang. Gevanni entered again, this time with a guy following him. A rather strange-looking guy. The guy's black hair was messy, and he was wearing a white pullover and blue jeans. "You have to be Near" he said, smiling. Near frowned and looked at the stranger. "Who wants to know that?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter II

"I'd rather talk to you without any audience", the stranger said. Near looked at Gevanni. "You go outside" he ordered "So, and now tell me who you are". The stranger smiled as he answered Near's question.

"I am L"

"You are L what?", Near demanded. "I didn't ever tell anyone my real name", the stranger replied. "But I can tell you some more about me. I am the L, I am Erald Coil, I am the person who first tried to solve the Kira Case. I am the first one to suspect Yagami Light to be Kira. Oh, and, by the way, I am the person whose job you have". He grinned. Near looked at the stranger furiously. "Don't you dare calling yourself L", he said angrily. "L died. There's no way he could've faked his death. His team saw him die. This is nothing to make a joke of, really. You should be ashamed of yourself". The stranger chuckled. "But I am alive. Or do you want to say I look like a corpse?" "Stop that", Near said, irritated. "I'll only say it once more: L. Is. Dead." "I. Am. Not.". The guy grinned. "The person that died was a double. A puppet. His name was Beyond Birthday. He has always been bugged so I could hear everything that was said. I managed to give him instructions, but I won't explain all the technical details to you now. I got him out of jail, and I faked the files so everyone thought he was dead. We swapped roles when I noticed there was a second Kira that could kill without knowing the name. After Beyond Birthday had died, I stayed undercover. I adopted two kids, you know. I'm really glad I have them, they're such clever kids . Their names are Matt and Mello. They told me you knew each other" "Yeah, I knew two guys named Matt and Mello… but they died. As well as L did" The guy that called himself L smiled. "No way!" he said. "At least, they were still alive when I left the house" "That's impossible. Matt was shot, and Mello's name was written in… er, doesn't matter. He just died, okay?" "No~. He's alive. I told you I adopted him, and I changed his name. His last name is the same as mine, so the wrong name was written into the Death Note. Unfortunately, I couldn't ask you to change your name because I thought this building was observed, and I didn't want to put you in danger by letting anyone see you. Well, that's all, I guess. I just wanted to say hello to my successor". The L guy smiled at Near. "Can you prove you are L?" Near asked. "That's a good question", the stranger said. "If you want to, you can call Matt and Mels. They answer the phone when I'm not at home" "But there could be anyone on the phone", Near said. "Then ask him something only he could know", the guy said. He typed a number in his cellphone and then handed it to Near. "Mels here" a voice on the phone said. "Who's there?", Near asked. "Are you really Mello?" "Near?", the voice asked. "Don't you even remember my voice? For your information, I'm the handsome blonde with the scar that discovered those two fake rules in the Death Note. D'you remember now?" "You're Mello! Really!", Near said happily. "Of course I am!", Mello answered. "But, er, does that mean… does that mean, that guy here is really L?", Near asked nervously. "Oh, no, you must've misunderstood him. He's not L, he's Santa!", Mello said sarcastically. "Of course he's L! I didn't think you were this stupid, really", he added. "And now, bye. I'm busy". Mello hung up.  
Near looked at L shyly. "I'm sorry", he said. "No need to be sorry", L replied. "I'd be disappointed if you reacted differently. You're really worthy of being my successor". Near blushed. "Thank you very much", he answered. "Why don't you get us some tea?", L asked. "Then we could relax a little and I could tell you everything". "Sounds good", Near agreed. "Gevanni!", he called. "Get us some tea, please"  
5 minutes later, Gevanni had brought the tea, and Near and L began talking.

At the same time, Mello sat in the living room, glaring at the phone as if it had personally offended him.  
"That damn Near brat!", he said grumpily.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter III

What the hell did he do now? Are you mad at him because he forgot that you were the handsome blonde that blew himself up?". Matt laughed. "Honestly, what did he do to you?". Mello frowned. "He wanted to know if I am Mello. I mean, who did he expect? A Power Puff Girl?". Matt grinned. "C'mon, I'm sure he remembers you. I guess he's just shocked. I mean, until he talked to you, he was sure you were dead". Mello stood up and went to the kitchen to get himself a bar of chocolate. He unwrapped it impatiently. "Don't be so upset. I mean, it was just a friendly call", Matt said. He rolled his eyes and turned towards the TV again. Then he lit a cigarette. Mello glared at the phone. "I'll be in my room", he said, turning towards the door.  
It hadn't bothered Mello that Near had been the one that called. He would've been angry at anyone that called. Not because he didn't like talking on the telephone, but because he had just been about to talk to Matt. Mello needed to talk to Matt because he had a problem. He was in love. This was a problem because the one he was in love with was just sitting on the sofa, smoking and playing video games. Mello was in love with Matt. And to him, this was a problem. And now stupid Near had spoiled everything with this call. Well, to be honest, Mello probably wouldn't have talked to Matt, even if no one had called. But, to Mello, it was easier to blame Near than admitting that he was just too chicken to tell Matt the truth.  
When Mello heard the front door being unlocked, he stood up and left his room. "Hi", he said. Then he realized that L was not the only person standing in the hallway. Near was standing in there, too. The fact that Near was standing seemed like a miracle to Mello. He had never thought about Near being able to stand. "What are you doing here?", he demanded. "He missed you", L said gladly. "Oh, hi, Near", Matt said, surprised. Mello hadn't noticed he had come in, and when he heard Matt's voice, he flinched. "You're actually able to stand?", Matt asked. "Thanks, I love you, too", Near replied. "Aw, c'mon, boys, be nice", L complained. "Near will soon be your brother, so don't be nasty. All of you. You should try to be friends"  
'´Try to be friends, huh?', Mello thought. In his opinion, L was a genius, but the fact that L thought he and Near could actually be friends made him wonder if L was going crazy. "What do you mean when you say we'll be brothers?", Matt asked. "Oh, I'll adopt him, too. Of course", L answered. Matt said something like "Oh, okay", and Mello tried to fake a realistic-looking smile when he said "Ah, nice. I guess trying to be friends won't hurt, right?". "We'll get along fine", Near promised. "Yeah", Mello said. "Well, I'll go to my room now. See you". He left them standing there and went to his room. There, he took a bar of chocolate from his desk's drawer. He sighed. He hated the idea of Near being a part of his family, but as long as Near didn't call him 'Mels', he would be fine. Mello had another problem to deal with, and that was much more important than Near.  
The others were still standing in the hallway. L knew that Mello hated the idea of living together with Near. He just didn't want to disappoint L. Near knew that, too. And, of course, Matt knew it, too. Matt knew everything about his best friend. Mello had even told him his true name, and that was a much bigger secret than Mello's dislike against Near. Finally, L decided to show Near his future room, and Matt went back to the Play Station.  
Near stayed for an hour, then he called Gevanni and told him to pick him up. L was glad that Near knew about him now. He knew Mello and Near would get along fine. At least, he hoped they would.  
Mello sat on his bed, cursing himself for not talking to Matt about his feelings again. Near had just left (and Mello knew that because he had heard the front door being opened and closed again). "Damn", he said, jumping to his feet. "Why can't I just tell Matt that I love him?"  
Suddenly, Mello froze. He just realized that there had been a sound from the room's door. Mello turned around and saw his best friend standing in the doorway.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter IV

I, er, I'm… sorry", Matt said, blushing. "I'll, uhm, go now". He left Mello's room. Mello left his room, too, slamming his door shut. He had just decided to leave. "I'll be back for dinner", he shouted, then he left. He thought about what to do now. He couldn't stand in front of the house all day, but he had no place to go, either. Neither he nor Matt were going to school (because L didn't think they would need to and because they didn't want to), so he had no classmates or friends to visit. The only living people he knew (except L and Matt) were Near and his Team, and Mello wasn't desperate enough to hang around with Near.  
However, after walking around aimlessly for half an hour, he changed his mind. He knew Near's address, so it took him only 10 minutes to get there. Gevanni opened the door and led him to Near's bureau. "Oh, hi, Mels", Near said, surprised, when they entered the room. "What are you doing here?" "That's none of your business", Mello said. "Actually, it is", Near disagreed, "This is my bureau, after all". "Yeah, that's right. Sort of", Mello said. "Well, I couldn't stay at home, and so I came here. Happy now?" "Why couldn't you stay at home?", Near asked. "And why did you come here? I mean, you hate me" "I know", Mello said, "But I don't know anyone else. Matt, eh, heard me say something I shouldn't have said and he shouldn't have heard and now he's probably mad at me or something. That's all". "What did you say that made him mad?", Near asked. "Aren't you best friends and all?" Mello looked at him. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand", he said. "Well, you can't know that", Near replied, "and you won't find out if you don't tell me". Mello glared at him. "What would you know about something like that?", he asked angrily, "But if you want to know, I can as well tell you. Matt heard me say… something… about being in love, and I don't think he's happy about it". "Both of you are in love with the same girl?", Near asked, confused. "Not at all", Mello said. "I knew you wouldn't understand. The one I'm in love with is Matt, okay?". Near stared at him. "You're… in love… with Matt?", he asked. "Is that true?" "No way, I just love to tell my best friend that I'm in love with him just for fun. Do you think I'm stupid?". "Sorry", Near said. "It's just… really hard to believe. You are about the last person that I would have thought was gay" "Don't say that!", Mello shouted. "But, isn't it true?", Near asked. "If you're a boy, and if Matt is a boy, too, and if you're in love with Matt, then you are-" "There's no need to tell me, I already know, okay? Just pretend I'm not here and do whatever you did before, okay?" There was a moment of silence. "I think you should talk to Matt. Maybe he isn't mad at all", Near suggested. "Oh yeah, and I am Santa", Mello said, sarcastically. "No, really", Near said. "I mean, it's not your fault that you're in love with him. You should really talk to him. He won't rip your head off or something. I mean, he's your best friend, isn't he?" "Yes, he is, and he just heard me say that I love him. If you were in his place, would you want to talk to me?" "Maybe I would want to do funnier things with you than talking", Near grinned. "You're making fun of me", Mello complained. "I'll go now. Bye" "Goodbye", Near said. "Good luck" "Yeah, thanks", Mello said. "Sorry for bothering you". He left. Maybe he should really talk to Matt.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter V

Matt sat in the living room. "Why can't I just tell Matt that I love him?". Yeah, this was what Mels had said. This couldn't be true. Not Mello. But there was no way Mello would have said that if it wasn't true. Matt flinched when he heard someone entering the room. "What's wrong?", L asked. "Do you have a guilty conscience?" He grinned. "Oh, no, I was just thinking", Matt said. "What did you think about?", L asked, "Just tell me, I'll find out anyway. I am L". "It's nothing, really", Matt lied. "Does 'nothing' have to do something with Mello?", L demanded. Matt blushed. "No", he said. "Liar", L said. "Really, if you lie, you should lie credibly. And you should never ever lie to me at all. So, now, be a good boy and tell me what happened" "It's nothing", Matt said, "I just, er, heard Mello say something he probably didn't want me to hear. That's all". "What did he say?", L asked. "He said… that he was in love", Matt said. "Didn't you know it?", L questioned. "Didn't I know what?", Matt asked. "Didn't you know that you're more than a brother to Mello? I mean, are you blind?" "You knew?", Matt yelled. "Why didn't you tell me about it? I was completely shocked!" "I thought he should tell you himself", L said, shrugging, "I didn't want to spoil everything". "Spoil everything, huh? You should've told me. I was all shocked when I heard him say he loved me" "What did you say?", L asked. "Nothing", Matt said, "At least, nothing that made sense" "In this case, you should talk to him once he comes back", L said. "Well, I'll be in the kitchen now. Serious talks always make me hungry".  
L stood up and went to the kitchen. Matt thought about what he had said. Yeah, he should really talk to Mello. This would be the best thing to do. When Matt heard the front door being opened, he stood up and went to the hallway. He wanted to get over with this.  
Mello tried to be quiet when he entered the house. He knew he should talk to Matt, but there was no need to do it now. He pulled the door shut. When he turned around to sneak to his room, Matt stood in front of him. Mello blushed. "Er, hi", he said. "I think we, uhm, need to, er, talk, right?" Matt nodded. "Yeah, right", he agreed, "Well, let's go to the living room, okay?". They went to the living room and sat down on the sofa. "Well-", Matt started. "Matt, I'm so sorry, really, just forget what I've said, okay? I'm really, really sorry", Mello interrupted him. "Please, don't be mad at me" "Er, I'm not mad at you", Matt said, "You really don't need to apologize". He was confused. He had never seen his best friend like this. This was so not Mello! Mello was not a person that begged for forgiveness. He had to be really desperate. He looked as if he would start crying at any moment. Matt didn't know what to do. He didn't want to see Mello like this. He felt the urge to comfort his best friend, so, without thinking about what he was doing, he pulled Mello into his arms. Mello was puzzled. He forgot about thinking rational and ignoring his feelings to be Matt's best friend again. He snuggled into Matt's arms and kissed him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter VI

Matt was shocked. Mello was kissing him! But then, Mello backed away. "I… am… sorry", he whispered. Then he ran away, and Matt heard a door being locked. Probably Mels had locked himself in his room. Matt recalled the last minute. He had hugged Mello… and Mello had kissed him. Well, it was his own fault, if he thought about it. He had known about Mello's feelings. Matt shuddered. His best friend… had kissed him. Kissed… Matt tried not to think of it, but still… this was the first time he had been kissed. He forbid himself to think something like that. He was not in love with Mello, he was just confused. That was all. "What did you two do now?", L asked, coming in. "Why did Mels lock himself in his room?" "It is nothing, okay?", Matt said, irritated. He left L standing in the living room.  
Half an hour later, L called for the boys. "Come to the kitchen! Dinner's ready!" "I'm not hungry!", Mello shouted, and Matt said something about not being hungry. L didn't care about that. He sat down at the table. And waited.  
Mello arrived after two minutes of waiting. He sat down and started eating. "You're pretty good at cooking", he said, "I wonder why you don't cook more often". "I'm really not that good", L admitted. "I didn't ever have to cook. This is all I can do". Mello shrugged and looked at his Spaghetti. "Tell me what happened between you and Matt", L demanded. Mello looked at him. "Nothing 'happened'", he said. "Liar", L said. "C'mon, it can't be that bad, and I'll find out about it anyway". "Well, it's… eh, difficult", Mello said evasively. "I know that you're in love with Matt", L said. "The rest should be easy, shouldn't it?" Mello blushed. "How did you… find out?", he asked. "It wasn't difficult", L replied. "Anyone could've seen it. But I think you should tell me about what happened. I wanna know". L smiled. "Well, it's just… I, eh, sort of… kissed Matt" Mello blushed. "Congratulations!", L said. "But shouldn't you be all happy now?" "Eh, no, not really… I don't think Matt feels the same way about me as I feel about him, so… he has to hate me now. I ruined it all. He won't ever talk to me again", Mello explained. "Did he tell you he hates you? Or do you just think he does?", L asked. "He didn't… he didn't really tell me, but, I mean, he has to hate me. I mean, I kissed him". L shrugged. "I don't think he hates you", he said. "Well, I'll go and shower now", Mello said. "See you". He left L sitting at the table.  
L didn't have to wait very long. As soon as you could hear the shower, Matt entered the room and sat down at the table. "Hi", L said, smiling, "Will you tell me what happened between you and Mello?" "Don't pretend you don't know", Matt said gloomily. "He told you, didn't he?" L shook his head. "He didn't say anything", he complained. "Really?", Matt asked. "Yeah, really", L lied. He was much better at lying than the boys were. "Can you tell me?", L asked, "I'm really worried about you. And I'll find out about it, no matter whether you tell me or not". Matt sighed. "I guess you're right", he said. "I'll tell you" L looked at him. "Yeah... well, Mello, er, he, uhm… he kissed me", Matt said. "And what did you do?", L asked. "I didn't do anything", Matt admitted. "Hm…" L was silent for a moment. "Did you like it?", he finally asked. "What?!", Matt cried, shocked. "I think this is a 'yes'", L said, smiling. "NO! I mean, I'm not…" Matt shook his head. "And now, you're not sure if you love Mello the way he loves you", L continued. "I'm brilliant, aren't I?" Matt stared at him. "It's not like… I mean… oh well, you're right, okay?" L smiled. "That's okay, really", he said. "Oh, by the way, Mels thinks you hate him". "What?!", Matt said, shocked. "I thought he didn't tell you-" "Aw, c'mon, calm down", L interrupted him. "I forgot about it until this very moment, okay?" "You're lying", Matt said. "You're right", L admitted cheerfully. "Do you want to have some cake?" L stood up and went to the fridge. "No, thanks. And maybe you should stop eating sweets all the time, it's unhealthy", Matt replied. "Look who's talking", L grumbled. "Aren't you the guy who's smoking all the time? I don't think that's really healthy" "Oh well, I won't say anything about your eating habits any more, okay? I'll go now, I'm tired" "Oh, okay", L said. "Good night" He watched Matt leaving the kitchen and smiled to himself. He was sure the boys would handle this without his help.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter VII

L was totally wrong. Matt and Mello stayed in their rooms all day, or at least they didn't leave their rooms at the same time. L went to visit Near every day, hoping they would talk when he was gone, but when he came back, nothing had changed. Nevertheless, this condition lasted only three days.  
After three days of silence, Near moved in the house. As soon as he had carried all his stuff into his room (Matt and Mello had been helping a lot; L had been eating a chocolate muffin), he looked at them sternly. "Mello", he said, "Why can't you just do what I tell you to? I told you that you should talk about it, didn't I? We'll have dinner in an hour. If you don't look happier until then, you'll be in trouble, really. And now, please, leave my room. I'll unpack my stuff now". Matt and Mello left the room. "He's a monster", Mello growled. "Oh yeah", Matt agreed. "Well", he added, "but… maybe he's right. Maybe we need to talk" Mello looked at him. "Matt", he said, "I'm really, really sorry. I shouldn't have kissed you, and I'm really sorry, but please, please don't hate me-" "I don't hate you. And I'm not mad at you, really", Matt interrupted him. "I, er, I really… like you, Mello", he blushed. "I mean, I really like you, I- oh well, I love you, Mello". They looked at each other for a moment. "You… love me?", Mello whispered. "Yes, I… uhm, I guess…" Matt laid his arms around Mello's waist and kissed him. Mello was overhelmed. For a moment, he didn't move. Then he threw his arms around Matt's neck and kissed him back. When Matt finally let go of Mello, they smiled at each other. "May I ask you a question?", Matt asked. "Yes, of course", Mello said."Okay, did you really ask Near for advice?" Mello laughed. "No, not really. I didn't know where to go, so I went to Near's bureau, but he wanted to know why I hang around at his bureau, so I told him", Mello explained.  
"Having fun?", L asked. He had just entered the hallway, carrying a muffin. The boys stared at him. "I'm helping Near unpacking his stuff", he explained, "But I was hungry, so I got myself a muffin. And now I'm returning to Near's room". "Er, it's your house. You can go wherever I want", Matt said. "Well, I'll go and help Near now. Do whatever you want" L turned towards Nears door. "But don't have too much fun, okay?", he said. The boys blushed. "We, uhm, weren't going to, er-", Mello stammered. L laughed. "Just kidding". He entered Near's room and left the boys standing there.  
"Sometimes", Matt said, shaking his head, "I wonder what L is thinking". "I'm not sure if I want to know what he's thinking", Mello said. "Yeah, you're right", Matt agreed. "Of course I am", Mello replied, smiling. "And now you should stop telling me things I already know and kiss me". Matt laughed, pulling Mello into his arms. "If that's what you want"  
And then, he kissed him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter VIII

About an hour later, L went to the living-room to get the boys (they had moved there because they had thought that sitting on the sofa was more comfortable than standing in the hallway). He smiled as he saw them. Mello had snuggled into Matt's arms, and both of them seemed very happy.  
"Hey boys", he said, still smiling. "We'll have dinner in 20 minutes" "Okay", Matt agreed. "We'll be in the kitchen. In 20 minutes" He smiled.  
20 minutes later, they sat at the kitchen table. "Remind me", L said, "to buy some new pans and stuff. All we have are two pots" "Yeah", Near agreed, "And we have to buy some food. There's nothing but chocolate and sweets. And cigarettes". "What's wrong about chocolate?", Mello asked, "Chocolate is healthy. It's good for the skin. And it tastes good, you know" Matt grinned. "We don't want to know any more", Near said, grinning. Matt smiled. "I wouldn't tell you any more, even if asked me to". Then they stopped chatting and started eating.  
L looked at his spaghetti (they hadn't been able to cook anything else; neither Near nor L were good at cooking). He wished he could have some cake instead of noodles, but Near had told him he hadn't had dinner together with others for a long time, and L didn't want to be a spoilsport.  
Matt looked at his spaghetti (or better, he pretended to look at his spaghetti; he really looked at Mello most of the time). He sighed. He he could still sit on the sofa with Mello. He didn't know what he had been afraid about. Holding Mello in his arms felt better than he would've thought. He shot a quick glance at Mello. Their gazes met, and both of them smiled.  
Near looked at the others. He was totally happy. He smiled. Mello looked at him. "Why are you smiling?", he asked. "I'm smiling because I'm happy", Near replied, "This is the first time ever that I have dinner together with my family". He blushed. Mello smiled at him. Matt stood up and put his plate in the sink. "May I go?", he asked. "Of course you may", L said. "Thanks", Matt replied, "I'll be in my room then". He left. "I'll, uhm, go after him", Mello said quickly, standing up. "Okay", L agreed. Mello followed Matt into his bedroom.  
L and Near were still sitting at the table. "May I ask you a question?", Near asked. "Of course you may", L said. "Whatever you want" "Okay", Near replied. "So, why don't Matt and Mello go to school?" "Why should they go to school? I mean, you don't go to school, either. And it's not like they need to go to school. They'd be bored", L said. "That's true, but I don't think they need to learn irregular verbs or something. I just think school would be a good place for them to learn to get along with people without using a gun or blowing something up" "But they seem to get along nicely", L said, "and don't say 'blow something up' when Mello's around. He's very touchy about that topic" "Oh well", Near said. "And of course they get along fine. They're a couple. But they need to get along with other people as well. And I think it doesn't matter if they are bored sitting at home or if they are bored sitting in class" "You're probably right", L admitted. "They won't like it, though."  
Mello and Matt told him they would give school a try, so, the next morning, they went to school. When they came back, Mello was in a terrible mood (which was not surprising; a girl had asked him where he got that terrible scar from, and some boy had called Mello "honey", thinking he was a girl).  
"I'll never ever go there again", Mello growled. "Those guys are just stupid!" "I know", Matt said, amused. "I was there, too" He kissed Mello. "Don't be upset, Mels. Let's not think of school now, okay?" "Okay", Mello agreed. "Good. Now, let's go to my room" So they went to Matt's room. There, they sat down on the bed. "I love you", Matt muttered. "I love you, too", Mello replied. Matt took off his shirt, then he kissed Mello again. He opened Mello's vest and Mello shrugged out of it. They kissed again, and Mello snuggled up to Matt's chest. Then, Matt unbuttoned Mello's pants…


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter IX

Come here, boys! Dinner's ready!", L called. "No! What shall I do now?", Mello moaned. "I don't think I'll be able to stand up and walk" "I'm really sorry", Matt apologized, patting Mello's shoulder. "You don't need to be", Mello said quickly. "Are you hungry?", Matt asked. "I could bring you something" "No, no, I'm not hungry at all", Mello said. "But you should go and eat something. There's no need for you to be hungry" "Boooooys!", L called. "Didn't you hear me? Dinner's ready! No spaghetti this time!" "We aren't hungry!", Matt called back. "Aw, c'mon, you could at least sit at the table with us", L complained. Mello sighed. "Just go and eat something", he said. "Tell them I'm sleeping. Or dead. Anything" Matt smiled. "I'll be back in no time", he promised. He dressed quickly. "I'll hurry", he said, then he left for the kitchen.  
"Where's Mellie?", Near asked when Matt entered the kitchen. "Don't call him 'Mellie'", Matt said. "And, if you wanna know, Mello's sleeping" "Then why didn't you wake him up?", Near asked. "He's not really sleeping, right?" "That's none of your business", Matt said dryly. "Why didn't he come?", L asked. "I mean, I know my cooking skills are, uhm, sort of non-existent, but-" "Oh, you're really not that bad", Matt said quickly, "Mello just feels, er, not so good, that's all" Near grinned. "Feeling bad, huh?", he asked. "I wonder why" "That's none of your business again. And now I'll go and look after him". Matt took a bar of chocolate from a drawer and left. L sighed. "Does the food I cook really taste that horrible?", he asked, depressed. "Oh, believe me, that's not it", Near said, still grinning. "I think Mello is just not able to get up and walk here" L's eyes widened. "Do you really think… they would…?" Near nodded. "I know a thing or two about Mello, and I know that he definitely doesn't want to disappoint you. He'd come here if he was able to" Near smiled at L. "You should really eat something", he said. "The fish is delicious"


	10. Chapter 10

Several Weeks Later (about 7 a.m.)  
I love you", Matt said. He kissed Mello gently. "Love you too", Mello replied sleepily. He looked at his alarm clock. "It's 7 a.m.", he complained. "Why aren't you sleeping?" Matt smiled. "I can't kiss you when I'm asleep", he told Mello. Mello smiled, and they kissed again. "Wanna shower?", Matt asked grinning. "Why not? As long as you join me…"  
When they had finally left the bathroom and finished breakfast, Matt looked at the kitchen clock. "Shall we go to school now?", he asked half-heartedly. "We haven't skipped school for three days now", Mello said. "They have to be desperate to get rid of us. We'd be late anyway" Matt smiled. "So we stay here" They kissed. "Did you know you're healthy for me?", Matt asked. "I am?" "Oh yeah. I haven't been smoking for at least two weeks now" Mello grinned. "Yeah, I keep you busy", he admitted. Then they kissed again.  
When L and Near came back in the evening, Matt and Mello had fallen asleep on the sofa. Mello lay on his side and Matt lay behind him, one arm around Mello's waist. "They're such a cute couple", L said gladly as he saw them. "They're the personification of laziness", Near disagreed. "I bet they skipped school again. I'm surprised that they wear clothes at all" "What should they do with their clothes off?" Near looked at him. "You need to ask?" L blushed. "How often do I have to tell you, they wouldn't do something like that? And of course they skip school. They're bored there" Near shook his head in disbelief, wondering if L really didn't have a clue what Matt and Mello were doing when they had "alone time" or if L just didn't want to think about it. "Wake them up", L told him. "I'll unpack the food" He left for the kitchen. Near took a pencil from the table and stabbed Mello with it, which was quite a rude, but useful way to wake him up. Mello jumped to his feet, and Matt sat up. "Can't you just be nice?", he asked. Mello sat down on his lap. Near grinned. "Of course I can", he said, "but I don't want to miss Mellie's reaction, it's just so funny" "Call me "Mellie" once more, and I'll shoot you", Mello hissed. "Be nice", Near said. "L and I brought some Chinese food, we'll have dinner now" They went to the kitchen and sat down at the table. "How was school today?", L asked. "We weren't in", Matt told him. "Oh, okay", L said. There was a minute of silence. "Mello", Matt finally said. "Yes?", Mello looked at him. "I love you", Matt said. Mello smiled at him. "I love you too", he replied. Matt smiled back. He took a deep breath. "Marry me", he said.


End file.
